Elon Musk says a Space Elevator Unrealistic
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Elon Musk says a 3000 mile bridge across the Atlantic would be more realistic than an elevator to space. Elon Musk: "I mean I'd think it would be awesome if there was a space elevator, I wouldn't hold my breath. I mean, I don't think it's realistic, but I'd like to be proven wrong. I always think of like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when I hear the space elevator, you know. Cause people sort of meant it's like an elevator, you press up, and now you're in space. This is like a really - this is extremely complicated. Yeah, I'm not, I don't think it's really realistic to have a space elevator. Let me put it this way: At a point at which we have like a bridge to from L.A. to Tokyo, which I think is a much easier problem, then we, or you know how about across the Atlantic. You know like some sort of 2000 mile log bridge, or 3000 mile long bridge. You know something like that would be made of like carbon nano tubes. I don't think we have a carbon nano tube footbridge so far, let alone some enormous 60 000 mile long space elevator. Anyway, so I think we're - it's not the thing that I think makes sense right now, but if somebody could prove me wrong that would be great." See full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=4DUbiCQpw_4#t=4248
Comments
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A new space elevator concept will help to make us a true space faring civilization .
It has multiple tethers at its center ( for greatest strength ) and
fewer tethers as you move away from center ( for lesser amounts of mass ) . It is also in an elliptical geosynchronous orbit , so it appears to drop straight down from space , pick up a payload , and return to space , thus requiring a much smaller system than an earth based space elevator. We already have material strong enough to get us within the distance of the lunar gravity center ( around 6,000 mi. ) add the proposed system above and we could do this now!
Let's get started.
What do you think? -
scared of space elevator?
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the very first space elevator should be built for mars colonization only. this is to avoid having to land with poor aerobraking due to it's thin atmosphere only 0.01 of earth's. if you can colonize phobos first and you're able to manufacture kevler, zylon or boron. the stronger it is the way more realistic that can be.
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See this is the one time I disagree with elon
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I was surprised to hear Elon give such a bad answer. The bridge analogy made no sense. A bridge on Earth has nothing to do with a space elevator. And just because we haven't developed the technology of carbon nanotubes and graphene doesn't mean it doesn't hold promise for the future. He should have just said the technology is nowhere near where it needs to be today, but I hope we made the necessary advancements.
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I highly disagree with his analogy with the bridge from LA to Tokyo for the following reasons:
1) The difficult part of a trans-pacific bridge is not the bridge itself, but rather the piers that must be erected from the bottom of the ocean
2) There is no good reason to build such a bridge. Ships are more cost-efficient. Can't say the same with rockets
3) All this is irrelevant anyway, since the length of the cable isn't the difficulty - it's the tensile strength
I do agree however that the claim by Obayashi to build a space elevator by 2050 is unrealistic. Just because Mars One turned out to be wishful thinking doesn't mean the idea of Mars colonization itself is unrealistic.
In any case, I don't see space elevator as a competitor to reusable rockets Elon Musk obviously favors. It's still decades away and will grant space access on a whole new level (think millions of tons of material lifted into space, building entire cities and terraforming planets etc.) -
I believe he never said he doesn't believe in the idea, its just unrealistic at this time.. i mean we are not even close, no where close to making anything like this.. i'm sure it will come true eventually.. but it is just not the right time, and is unrealistic in this time in technology to invest in so early.. he is still an entrepreneur. And he is also speaking on behalf of the probability that it will be complete by the time no matter how much capital is put into this development, that it is just not possible currently.. but maybe in the future.. another elon musk will see its potential!
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Says the guy who wants to colonize mars. Honestly, wouldn't a space station city be more realistic?
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A bridge from LA to Tokio? its crazy! like a train in a pressurized tube :P
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sure you would say this as all your money is tied up in rockets. lots of people say an idea is impossible until someone decides to do the impossible.
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60.000 miles? That's a quarter of the way to the moon. Granted, it's a science fiction dream, but, we'll see.
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